Combination gardening tool



y 9, 1933- G. A. BUTTRESSQ 1,908,506

COMB INATION GARDENING TOOL Filed April 25, 1931 4 :FIGJ. 1

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Patented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE GEORGE. A. BUTTRESS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR' 0F THREE-EIGHTHS TO JOSEPH A. BUTTRESS, 0F PASADENA,

CALIFORNIA, THREE-EIGHTHS, T0 HARRY? J. HILLEGAS, OF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO ALVIN C. CHANCE;

QELOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA COMBINATION GARDENING trooL Application filed April 25,

This invention relates to gardening tools and more particularly to a combination tool which as a single instrument provides for spading and lawn trimming, seeding, hoe: ing, cultivating small plants, and the prunlng of trees, shrubs and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination tool of the character described which will be of simple and inexpenslve form, small, compact and capable of its variety of uses in a particularly eflicient manner.

Another object is to provide a tool of the character described which may be made up of a size and form similar to that of an ordinary shovel or spade, in a particularly novel manner and of but few parts so constructed, assembled and relatively arranged to permlt of the use of sheet metal while providing for appreciable strength, efliciency and durability as well as lightness of weight in the tool as a whole.

A further object is to provide a tool of the character described in which a single simple form of spading blade forms the body of the tool and supports the other tool elements in a compact arrangement, provlding for strength and ease of selective and efficient use of the said elements.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the co-mblnation, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the tool;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 1.

The present embodiment of my invention, as shown in detail in the accompanying drawing, consists of a flat straight spading blade and body portion 1 of substantially semi-circular form, the curve edge 2 of 1931. Serial No. 532,730.

which isv sharpened While the straight edge 3 is .attached to a handle 4. This straight edge, on opposite sides of the handle, carries foot rests 5 and GeXtending from opposite sides of the blade, which footrests carry small spading or cultivating blades 7 and 8 projecting laterally outward from the curved edge 2 near the ends of the straight edge 3.

The blades 7 and 8 are preferably integral with the respective foot rests; The blade 7 and foot rest 5 are therefore made of asingle piece of sheet metal stamped to form the blade of a concavo-convex pointed spade shape, and to define spaced parallel angle: bars 9 which comprise the foot rest. These bars are arranged to fit on oppositefsides of, the main blade, and are then secured thereto 7 preferably by spot welding as indicated at 10. It is-noted that the horizontal portions of said bars provide a wide and. effective, foot rest.

It is noted that the blades 7 and, 8 are-- outwardly offset from the foot rests whereby to protect them from contactcwith the feet of the user of the tool and better balance the latter; 4 r The blade 8 and its foot rest .6 are formed and attached in the same manner as the-other blade and foot rest, except that theeblade has straight edges instead of beingpointed and is substantially JV-Shaped in cross sect on, to provide fora cutting or hoeing actlon, the V form providing for strength.

It is to be notedthat the handle 4 is se-- cured to the main blade 1 at apoint'centrally of the straight edge 3 thereof,,by clamping plates ll spot' welded to the blade and formed as a socket 12 in which the handle is bolted or riveted. These plates and the foot rests reinforce and strengthen the instrument in a particularly eflicacious manner insuring its efiicient use as a-spading and lawn trimming tool or when selectively em-- ployingthe side blades 7 and Sforcu'ltivating small plants, etc., planting seed and small trimming and digging work. incom fined places, etc. Furthermoraitis seen that the three implements may be used'selectively- 2 without. in any waypinterferingwith one-ans. other.

The relative arrangement of the blades 1, 7 and 8 and the handle is such that the tool will be well balanced in all its uses, it being noted that the blades 7 and 8 are of substantially equal size and lateral extent from the main blade and placed high enough to avoid interference when spading with the main blade. Likewise the main blade is disposed above and clear of the auxiliaryblades when either of the latter is used.

The main blade 1 is formed with V-shaped notches 22 on opposed edges thereof adjacent the projecting blades 7 and 8 the margins of which notches are formed with cutting edges, as indicated at 21, and which notches are employed for pruning purposes. The blade is also formed adjacent the notches 22 with openings 19 as a means of attachment for pivot pins of cutting blades,

not shown, which may be provided to cooperate with the cutting edges 21 of the notches 2-2, where desired, but which constitutes no portion of the present invention.

'An'important feature of the invention resides in forming the foot rest integral with the blades 7 and 8 to protrude from opposite sides of the main blade 1 so that the latter will be centered with relation to the foot rest and another feature resides in forming the blades 7 and 8 so that their longitudinal centers will extend midway between the plane of the opposed faces of the blade 1 to thereby afford a balance which facilitates manipulation of the tool, since the longitudinal centers of the blades 7 and 8, as well as the cutting edge 2 of the blade 1, will extend on a plane with the axis of the handle 1. This arrangement is advantageous in that it facilitates manipulation of the tool between close rows of plants.

It will now be apparent that the tool herewith described and shown will provide the advantages hereinbefore mentioned in a particularly efficacious manner.

I claim:

1. In a gardening tool, a flat spading blade, a handle attached thereto, foot rests fixed on said blade extending from opposite sides of the blade and located on opposite sides of said handle, and auxiliary blades carried by said foot rests and extending laterally outward from opposite edges of said spading blade with the longitudinal centers of each of said blades disposed on a plane extending midway between the opposed faces of said spading blade.

'2. In a gardening tool, a fiat spading blade, a handle attached thereto, angle iron bars secured to said blade on opposite sides thereof and on opposite sides of the handle to serve as foot rests, and auxiliary blades formed integral with said bars and extending longitudinally therefrom in ofl set relation thereto with the longitudinal centers of each of said blades disposed on a plane extending midway between the opposed faces of said spading blade.

3. In a gardening tool, a flat spading blade of substantially semi-circular form having its curved edge sharpened, a handle secured to said blade, foot rests secured to said blade extending from opposite sides thereof at the straight edge thereof, and auxiliary blades carried by and extended outward from the outer ends of the foot rests in outwardly ofiset relation thereto with the longitudinal centers of each of said blades disposed on a plane extending midway between the opposed faces of said spading blade.

4:. In a gardening tool, a flat spading blade, a handle attached thereto, pairs of spaced parallel bars arranged to engage on opposite sides of and being secured to the blade on opposite sides of said handle, and an auxiliary blade formed integral with the outer ends of each pair of bars and extending outward therefrom in offset relation thereto with the longitudinal centers of each of said blades disposed on a plane extending midway between the opposed faces of said spad- 

